Okay, i'm sick of my daughter having a reaction, me giving her the epi-pen and when I get to the local ER (the only option this time - I was in an ambulance) the symptoms are mostly gone so i'm given the "overreacting mom" treatment. You'd think after 5 major allergic reactions and having 3 epi-pens given to her (the last 3 times i was smarter) I KNOW when my daughter is having a reaction.

Okay, we are entering the "verbal" stage, which on most days is bloody annoying for my 2 year old, but today not even 2 minutes after being let down after lunch, she's crying and saying "tummy ow.. tummy boo-boo" I figure she ate too much (she LOVES my homemade pancakes) or too fast so I go give her a hug, she snuggles into me crying, then I look at her, and she looks pale.. I start wondering, so I go grab the emergency medical pouch "just in case" and I turn back to her, her lips aren't pink anymore, they are grey - the same colour as her skin, her eyes roll back in her head and she collaspes on the ground. I do a conciousness check (shook her, slapped her face a few times) NO reaction.. out comes the epi-pen (the new one, first time i've used it) and I jab her with it, but it's VERY different with the new one, on top of the fact DD is unconcsious on the floor, the jab makes her jump in surprise, and the spring mechanism engages, so she only had the needle in about 2 seconds.. NOT enough. I call the ambulance, she can't stand up, she's just lying there limp, conscious now, but crying and saying boo boo very faintly..

I'm freaking out, I know she got SOME dose, but not all (i've instructed my hubby about the differences in this one - i've used the trainer, but don't feel that it represents the strength of the spring back) and I am very clear about this to the ambulance.. by the time they get there, she's sitting mostly on her own, but still sheet pale.. her O2 sat is fine (I say, ya, i know, none of her reactions have ever had resp. symptoms) but they don't have a cuff small enough for her BP... I HATE the hospital they take us to by default (I have no choice in the matter in circumstances like this).

So the doc concludes after a blood test and her projectile vomiting all over their floor that it's a stomach bug, not an allergic reaction because there was no visible swelling. Though I admit that's odd( the no swelling part), the rest speaks for itself in my mind. I'm mad now, she's never had a "textbook" presentation on her reactions, and every one has been different so far, which keeps me on my toes and well aware of what constitues a reaction. Regardless, I have an appointment with the allergist for a baked egg challenge in 2 weeks, and will see if there's any way to deal with it, but i'm just at my wits end with these docs not taking me seriously. Just because my name doesn't have M.D. after it, doesn't mean I don't know an allergic reaction when I see one!

Oh my gosh, terrifying. You did the right thing!!!!! There is no such thing as text book reactions so those docs I have seriously need some up to date training. Ds has had different sets of symptoms with each reaction. It is like a mix and match puzzle, sometimes a this, sometimes that... I remember reading somewhere on here recently about an ER dr. study and most did NOT recognize the symptoms as anaphylaxis. There doesn't have to be swelling, there doesn't have to be hives. Any two systems together = anaphylaxis. As reactions can get worse very quickly you did the right thing in using your epipen. Perfect but tragic example : the 17 yr old who died this month thinking he was having a minor reactions therefore didn't use his epipen.

I have to run...but wanted to say hugs and thank goodness you acted quickly...

Grr! I would follow up with a letter to the hosptial. Down playing the reaction like that is dangerous. Another parent might decide not to give the epipen next time.

Perhaps the hospital would like to re-educate their staff? They need to read and remember this:

Quote:

Signs & symptoms

Signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen.

In rarer cases, the time frame can vary up to several hours after exposure.

The way these symptoms can vary from person to person and even from episode to episode in the same person.
An anaphylactic reaction can involve any of the following symptoms, which may appear alone or in any combination, regardless of the triggering allergen:

Because of the unpredictability of reactions, early symptoms should never be ignored, especially if the person has suffered an anaphylactic reaction in the past.
It is important to note that anaphylaxis can occur without hives.

If an allergic person expresses any concern that a reaction might be starting, the person should always be taken seriously. When a reaction begins, it is important to respond immediately, following instructions in the person’s Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan. The cause of the reaction can be investigated later.

The most dangerous symptoms of an allergic reaction involve breathing difficulties caused by swelling of the airways (including a severe asthma attack in those who have asthma) or a drop in blood pressure indicated by dizziness, lightheadedness, feeling faint or weak, or passing out. Both can lead to death if untreated.

She's doing much better today. The idiot doctor probably got thrown off by the fever she had when she got to the hospital (which she didn't have all morning - and which is gone today - her system was most likely in SHOCK).

She slept like she was in a coma for 13 hours (which scared me, because she's usually a very busy sleeper that snores - and I didn't hear a peep from her, I had to check on her often). Today she's eating normally, she's just a little bit cranky, a little bit clingy, but that's too be expected, the reaction probably scared her as much as it scared me (if not more so because she had no control over it - I did).

I wouldn't doubt myself, i'd give her another epi-pen if she did that again for sure. Just the fact the jab brought her back around (intense pain) and then she slowly gained more awareness within the 2-4 minutes after the shot, the adrenaline must have fixed it, but BOY that bruise on her thigh is nasty from the shot, since she jumped and the needle came out, it wasn't very gentle like the last times you couldn't even see it.

At this point, after 5 major reactions and giving 3 epi pens, I am aware of how much it helps and how fast it works and would never doubt my instinct again...

That's scary, and I'm glad everything turned out OK in the end. Did you figure out what she reacted to? How frustrating to have the ER docs not believe you. Next time, after you have administered the epipen and are waiting for the ambulance, would it help to take a photo of her symptoms in case they have subsided by the time you reach hospital? I realize some may not show up on camera very well. . .

Thanks for letting us know about the needle's protective cover. Someone else had posted about that, and the rest of us were trying to figure out how different it was from the other version.

This new epi. is starting to worry me. Can't wait a year until they expire and am able to use one on an orange to get the feel of it. I keep hearing it feels different than the new trainer , not very comforting.
I am assuming in this situation when the needle doesn't stay in long enough if the reaction isn't subsiding to go ahead and use the second epipen.

My best guess to what she reacted to was:
a) possible cross contamination in the electric frying pan (dairy most likely)
b) the fact I was eating peanut butter, and wasn't ebing careful enough - maybe out of habit I started putting food on her plate without washing my hands first (doubt it, but it's possible, i've been really tired recently).

She's 100% back to normal now, but when people come over to the house she hides behind the lazy boy and cries - I guess she's afraid it's the ambulance guys coming to get her again and take her away (she's in a shy stage to being with, but that really didn't help..)

I have an allergist appointment in 2 weeks for a baked egg challenge, so I'll bring it up at the same time, and refrain from eating my peanut butter stuff at the same time as she eats her meals. I'd done it before, but can't take ANY chances anymore!

Hugs to you both cauger. I hope your daughter (and you!) are feeling better now! That sounds really scary, and I'm so sorry they didn't take it seriously, but you did the right thing!!! We've had to give our son the Epipen 3 times, and to see the difference in him before and after the Epi is really remarkable. I guess those in the medical field may not have witnessed the before and after and they are expecting to be witness to the "before" even though you've already given the Epi, and guess what, it WORKS!! It saves lives and stops the reaction. By the time the ambulance arrives, the after effects have now kicked in.

Thanks for the informaiton on the NEW Epipen... I hadn't heard that yet. I would not have expected the Epi to behave any differently, so it's good to be aware of this. As soon as our Epi expires on June 1, I'm going to try it out on an orange to see how different it feels.

Oh my dd is doing fine, but I think i'm develloping some sort of PTSD relaterd to her reactions. I am literally afraid to feed her now, or eat anything near her that may not be safe! I have horrible dreams that have me sneaking in to check if she's okay, I know it will pass, but the extra pregnancy hormones are not helping matters much. What gets me most is she now realises how her saying "tummy hurts" gets my full attention right away, and she uses that to her advantage (she's the great manipulator).

What's not helping at the moment is that she's got her baked egg challenge tommorow that i'm worried about, but we'll see hwo that goes. The upside is that I'll get to see the allergist (i'm assuming) or at least talk with another one supervising the challenges, and I can mention the reaction that she had that scared the living daylights out of me. I know I did the right thing by giving her her epi-pen quickly, but that doesn't change my fear about how FAST the reaction was and how serious it was, and i'm really worried about leaving her with anyone, even trained family, because they may not "get" it (heck, i'm not even sure if the hubby gets it 100%, cause he's missed seeing the worst of all the reactions except the first egg reaction). I think the worst part is the not knowing what she reacted to. Was is crossc ontamination in the kitchen, or the fact I was eating PB at the same table. The PB thing wont happen any more, not worth the risk for sure (even though i'd done it many times before without a problem).

It's just hard, and to top it all off, she's reacting to beef again, so that one gets added back on to the list, and who knows what comes next. She has become the pickiest eater, adn wont touch anything she doesn't recognize, because I think even SHE is becoming afraid of food now. IF this continues, i'm going to need some serious help I think (like dietician and such) because i'm out of ideas..

Oh my dd is doing fine, but I think i'm develloping some sort of PTSD relaterd to her reactions. I am literally afraid to feed her now, or eat anything near her that may not be safe! I have horrible dreams that have me sneaking in to check if she's okay, I know it will pass, but the extra pregnancy hormones are not helping matters much.

First a hug, then ...how did the baked egg challenge go? My fingers are crossed for you!

Now another hug ! I have many times felt like you described above. When DS was very young and everything and anything I seemed to feed him caused a new reaction I was terrified and ended up just sticking to the same 4 foods he ate safely and totally stopped introducing new foods. I felt like everything was spiraling out of my control and I couldn't see any hope of ever being in control of DS's allergies rather than having them control our life.
When a child is older they can tell you right off if they don't feel well, with a little one it is all guess work and you also don't know what they are allergic too, so food is darn right scary. I too thought the toddler stage would be easier but then you deal with new challentes. Are they picky, are they refusing it due to a reaction I am not able to visually see, are they manipulating me (age appropriate behavior but not helpful when dealing with ana allergies). The couple times I was sure it was pickiness I put my food down and forced DS to have a bite it caused reactions. Oh yah, that did not help the stress, anxiety, mama guilt!
So my advice would be although they do manipulate at that age if there is something she doesn't want to eat and you aren't sure, just try something else. If she says her tummy hurts, you know, it might, it might not, but best to not make too big a deal of it (so as not to egg her on) but do watch her, you never know.

But it does get easier. The issues /challenges may change but it DOES get easier.

Please post and share or PM if you really need to vent and just get it off your chest. When we say allergy parents get it we do mean that. Other try to understand, I know they really do, but it just isn't the same. Judgement free listening here!! You aren't alone and you don't need to cope with this alone. Look how far we have all come since joining the forum. How to live with her allergies she is learning from you, you are doing an amazing job and she will thank you for that when she is older and as Kyle says about those with allergies...I have them but they don't define me. Hang in there, an be sure to post how the egg challenge went.

It's natural to have PTSD after going through what you and your dd went through. Pregnancy hormones definately don't help! Can you partner take on a bit more responsibility? You need to take it easy. Yes, it was a horrible experience but try to focus on:
1. "...me giving her the epi-pen and when I get to the local ER (the only option this time - I was in an ambulance) the symptoms are mostly gone..." -You gave her the Epipen and it did a great job at getting rid of the symptoms! "I wouldn't doubt myself, i'd give her another epi-pen if she did that again for sure...I am aware of how much it helps and how fast it works and would never doubt my instinct again..." :thumbsup
2. "...we are entering the "verbal" stage...she's crying and saying "tummy ow.. tummy boo-boo"..."-It's getting better, she's starting to be able to communicate when she's having a reaction.
3. "Just because my name doesn't have M.D. after it, doesn't mean I don't know an allergic reaction when I see one!"-You know when to listen to the professionals and when to stand up for your kid!

Let your dd go back to basics foodwise for a little bit. She's got to get her confidence back, yes. But she's also picking up on your feelings.

Let her get involved in the kitchen. Give her some safe cookie dough to pound out, bake it and share it with her over juice or milk alternative.

Get her some pretend food or kitchen utensils/play dishes. Let her explore her feelings through play. You can also start introducing phrases you want her to be able to use. You be the person with allergies and she can offer you food...

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